There are more than just bananas in there...
When Covid-19 set in and we began staying home, I decided to make a drink per day and write some words about it. Hilarity ensues.
It is a peachy kinda day here celebrating Liam’s award-winning cornbread recipe, so we decided to stay with the theme and make a peach based cocktail. Plus, I noticed that I’ve been tending toward things in coupes and tall glasses, so I’m angling back toward whiskey and rocks glasses with lots of fancy cubes. I still wanted to shake the drink and I’m on a big chunks of fruit and mint getting pulverized by ice kick, so I opted for the classic Peach Bourbon Smash.
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There are days when it is clear things aren’t going to work out the way you expected, when things are cancelled, those disappointing rainy days. I’m bad about taking them to heart, getting bummed about what might have been and overlooking how things can still be. Today’s cocktail is kinda like one of those days. I came home all fired up to make something kind of original, something I thought of today in a challenging moment, only to find I lack one crucial ingredient. Granted, that’s not a big loss, but when thrown on top of the rest of the day, it felt like a thing. Part of me just wanted to skip it and go for a walk, in the rain, petulantly. At that moment, I heard my buddy Robert’s disembodied voice in my head, like Yoda or crazy old Ben Kenobi, reminding me of that TOM Creative Group adage that, “Not every job is worth doing, is worth doing well.” So, I decided to phone it in, which is ironic for posts created entirely on my phone. Anyway, I looked at the ingredients that were already out and handy, remembered another drink that looked “ok” that used them and decided to go low effort with The Verdant Lady.
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Sometimes, things fall off your radar. I had completely forgotten about this drink until a friend shared it with me last week and I have looked forward to making it ever since. The problem was, I didn’t have one of the ingredients, so I had to exhibit patience, which is not a thing I am known for. I mean, I can be patient…if I have to, but instant gratification is so much more fun. That said, having something to look forward to is definitely a thing. I’m a long time pleasure delayer and a strong believer that desire is often more satisfying than possession. That has been messing with me during “whatever it is we are calling this chapter of life” this week. With so many plans cancelled and the usual rituals with friends on indefinite hold, I’m kinda drifting with the tide with no clear destination in sight. Not saying it’s all been bad, it’s just different. I miss things to look forward to, but I ain’t special, we are all there, always. That’s really the thing isn’t it? We are all being pulled between desires and needs and responsibilities, all the time. But maybe, that is what makes a life. That’s a lot of words, huh? Probably too many. So, with a look to brighter days a-coming, I present The Last Word.
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I had other plans for tonight’s cocktail, but then I saw one that I absolutely could not resist. My friend, Joe Dougherty is a true cocktail connoisseur who has introduced me to many amazing drinks and helped inspire me to not just read and learn about them but to make my own cocktails at home. If you want to see what a pro does when he shares his cocktails from quarantine check out @bitterbotwin on Instagram. Truly amazing stuff, follow him, salivate over his amazing photography and drinks, come to Corsair Artisan Distillery (when it reopens to the public) and have him make an amazing drink for you. Anyway, he has turned me on to some really great stuff and shares my penchant for tiki drinks, so when he shared his “Lauwiliwilinukunuku’oi’oi” I just knew I had to make it. It’s a bit of a mouthful to say or type and he instructs you to “pour into a fun vessel” so I’m gonna take that to heart and rename my version of this one, “Speaking in Tongues”, for convenience sake.
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I’m feeling nostalgic, maybe yearning for a lost bit of my misspent youth, or just missing old friends. Either way I jumped back to the early 90’s to college days for a Kamikaze.
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It has been a great, but very long day. I got up extra early and hit some trails in North Alabama with a couple of friends for some responsible and socially distant, much-needed reconnect and recharge time. One of the weirdest things to adjust to has been not seeing people in 3D and not being able to hang out and take each other for granted. Well, that and the taking care of loved ones who are also stressed, not driving your spouse and kid crazy, keeping the wheels of essential industry turning in challenging and uncertain times while dealing with the necessities of daily existence in an era when empathy and looking out for your fellow human is increasingly politicized and sometimes derided, I mean besides those basics, it’s just really weird not to see people you love. So, when you get the chance, if you can do it in a responsible way, it is worth it to go way out in the middle of nowhere and laugh and cut up with each other from ten feet away. Especially if there’ s some hiking and picnicking involved. The thing is, it’s hot out there and the sun, she is a devil mistress, sapping you of your precious bodily fluids, even as she delivers vitamin D and recharges your batteries. As I drifted in, well after curfew, I realized I was sunburned and dehydrated, so it was time to recharge in a different way, with a bunch of cool, clear well water followed by a Cucumber Gimlet.
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Today, we have a two for one at Liam’s request. He asked for a cocktail of his own for his birthday and being a responsible parent, I said, “Of course.” I’ve never given kiddie cocktails much thought, because the obvious choice is the Shirley Temple and we will get to that one in a moment, but first we are gonna make the “adult” version of this kid’s classic, the Dirty Shirley.
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I bet y’all thought I was gonna drop the ball and not post a cocktail today, since I’ve been out celebrating Liam’s 10th birthday. What you don’t know is I prepared for this by making two cocktails yesterday. Well, if you follow our Captain Rodney’s page, and you should, you know that I made a special drink to celebrate Canada’s answer to the Bloody Mary, the savory and sassy Caesar.
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So, this afternoon, I wanted nothing more than to come home and make a fancy new cocktail with some awesome ingredients I grabbed while out in the world getting stuff for the boy’s 10th birthday tomorrow. Not gonna lie, I kinda love curbside pickup. After I got back to the office, I discovered that I had messed up some scheduling that made taking tomorrow off to celebrate problematic. Tricky, when you work for yourself and have to be responsible. So, instead of running home to make a fancy cocktail for you, I worked late and came home tired and cranky not remotely interested in making anything. Then, I thought about the Boss and what would he think if I weren’t ready to go at showtime. So, I painted on a smile and hit my marks to make a Cuba Libre in honor of Butch.
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Some days things just don’t go right. Not that they go wrong, they just don’t go right. I had planned to make a different drink tonight, did all my prep work last night and everything. Only to realize the garnish I ordered hadn’t arrived yet, so I had to punt on that one. Not a big deal, adapt, move on, make something simple. What could go wrong? Well, we will see as we make the classic Tom Collins.
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